MAIT Organizes Sensitization Workshop on Good IT Procurement Practices for Govt. of Jharkhand

o Government and Industry leaders stress on the need to adopt modern, non-discriminatory bidding and contract management procedures
o Programme aims to help achieve better e-governance project outcomes and developmental goals in a time-bound and outcome based manner

Ranchi, India – August 31, 2016

MAIT, the apex body representing IT manufacturers organized a sensitization workshop on ‘Good Procurement Practices for Information Technology’ on invitation by the Department of Information Technology, Government of Jharkhand and JAP-IT (Jharkhand Agency for Promotion of Information Technology). Accenture participated as knowledge partner, while the workshop was supported by BSA – The Software Alliance. The meet was designed to highlight the importance of good IT procurement practices for government and semi-government organizations.

Figure 1. Key Challenges of Public Procurement

The workshop featured a presentation on ‘Good Procurement Practices for e-Governance Projects’ in which Mr. Ankur Malhotra, VP-GR & PP, Accenture emphasised on preparation of new IT procurement procedures based on model RFPs, incorporating amended GFR rules, and other relevant regulations such as those related to energy consumption or e-waste. The goal behind revamping existing procurement practices is to make available the appropriate commodity, product or service to the end-user at the optimal cost in the shortest feasible time span. He also suggested constitution of an IT Procurement Cell to assist in proliferation and adoption of new procurement procedures and to revise the same as and when required.Figure 2. Mapping the Four-Stage IT Procurement Process
Other prominent speakers at the event included Shri Umesh Prasad Sah, Director, Department of Information Technology, Government of Jharkhand, Shri K.K. Sinha, CEO, JAP-ITand Mr. Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, MAIT. The speakers emphasized on the need for closer collaboration between the government and industry to ensure success of e-Governance initiatives. They also advocated a planned, scientific approach to IT procurement to help speed up overall development of the state.

Mr Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, MAIT said, “The main objective of this workshop was to share best practices in IT procurement and to encourage the highest levels of trust and collaboration between industry and government. Such a partnership approach is essential for the success of e-Governance projects and development programmes oaf mineral rich state like Jharkhand, that is looking to empower its youth to take up new ICT-based skills and entrepreneurship.”

“With government becoming one of the largest adopters of IT, it is important to address critical issues like project delays, lack of standardization and slow decision making in implementation of e-Governance projects. The MAIT workshop was aimed to create a free, secure and transparent forum for discussing procurement best practices for IT goods and services,” Mr Shirpurwala concluded.

Figure 3. IT Procurement: The Way Forward

Source: MAIT

About MAIT

MAIT was set up in 1982 for purposes of scientific, educational and IT Industry promotion, Representing Hardware, Training, R&D & Hardware Design and other associated service segments of the Indian IT Industry, MAIT’s charter is to develop a globally competitive Indian IT Industry, promote the usage of IT in India, strengthen the role of IT in national economic development, promote business through international alliances, promote quality consciousness in the IT Industry and transform the Indian IT Industry into a World Scale Industry leading to a World Class Usage and thus a World Size Market. MAIT is recognized by both Govt. and Industry for its role in the growth & development of the IT Hardware industry in India and has emerged as a strong & effective mouthpiece of the industry in the government corridors. For more details, please visit www.mait.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. For more details, please visit www.accenture.com.

About BSA | The Software Alliance

BSA | The Software Alliance is a non-profit trade association created to advance the goals of the software industry and its hardware partners. It is the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, BSA is active in more than 80 countries, with dedicated staff in 11 offices around the globe: Brussels, London, Munich, Beijing, Delhi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Tokyo, Singapore, and São Paulo.

BSA’s global mission is to promote a long-term legislative and legal environment in which the industry can prosper and to provide a unified voice for its members around the world. BSA’s programs foster innovation, growth, and a competitive marketplace for commercial software and related technologies. BSA members are optimistic about the future of the industry, but believe that the future does not simply unfold. And, we agree that it is critical for companies to work together to address the key issues that affect innovation. For more details, please visit www.bsa.org